Systems Of Desire - Control / Consumption

Systems Of Desire - Control / ConsumptionKowton's new project with Hyetal, Systems Of Desire, follows collaborations with Peverelist, Dusk and Julio Bashmore. The producers' styles—Hyetal's woozy electronica and Kowton's tough mix of techno and grime—come together beautifully on their first record, which is also the first for Bristol's Happy Skull.

"Consumption" and "Control" both riff on a Vangelis-style synth loop. On the former a dubwise menace grows steadily more intense, rattling hard in an eyes-down groove. Like a lot of Kowton's music, this is a drum-led track, with muddy claps and dry percussion at the very front of the mix. "Control" feels more like Hyetal's baby. Its distant vocal, open snares and pearly synths are less forbidding than the eerie dub atmosphere of "Consumption," but a satisfying bass whomp and driving techno pulse mean it's anything but lightweight.